KEY POINTS:
Team New Zealand strategist Adam Beashel is fit for the challenger series semifinals which start in Valencia on Monday night.
Beashel caught his hand in the mainsheet block during last month's fleet racing regatta and stripped all the flesh off his index finger, which required three operations.
Emirates Team New Zealand managing director Grant Dalton said Beashel was back in training.
"He is fine and will now be available for the semis," Dalton said.
His finger will be heavily covered.
"It is all mangled up underneath but it is fine," Dalton said. "His nerves are all there, his fingers are all there and it is all working. His [skin] grafts have all healed up."
However, Dalton said it was not a given than Beashel would automatically return to the starting lineup.
Dalton said he was impressed with Beashel's replacement, American Mark Mendelblat.
"I think that Mark has done a nice job. They were big boots to fill and he has done it really well. It is not that Adam is back so we are going to put him straight back in."
Team New Zealand were scheduled to have raced Chris Dickson's BMW Oracle Racing last night in their final round robin match. They went into the match after a come-from-behind win over Victory Challenge where they recovered from a horrendous start to win by 36s.
Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker completely mistimed the start, crossing 18s behind the Swedes. However, the New Zealanders managed to keep it close on the first beat before powering past the Swedes on the first downwind run.
The race showed that BMW Oracle Racing are not the only team who can rely on boat speed to get them out of less than ideal situations.
Team New Zealand's win over Victory Challenge also pleased the Spanish as it means hometown favourites Desafio Espanol secured a semifinal spot alongside Oracle, Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa.
So elated were the Spanish journalists that they stuck a big picture of Barker up on the wall. So elated were the Spanish team they went into party mode.
For seven teams, the Cup is over.
Among those disappointed would be Italians Mascalzone Latino, who started the regatta off with a hissand a roar, beating Team NewZealand, and Sweden's Victory Challenge, who failed to perform aswell as they did in Auckland in the last cup.
